There are a lot of options for financing a startup or small business. From funding your new venture all by yourself to working with angel investors, each option has pros and cons.

Today we’re going to tackle the different options– the good, the bad, and the ugly – to help you decide which option is right for you.

Bootstrapping

If you can swing it, self-funding, or bootstrapping, is the best option. The costs to start a business are at an all-time low, and the vast majority– 82%– of startups are self-funded.

The biggest advantage is that you don’t have to give up any control or equity in your new company. For many people, this validates the potential drawback of how long it may take to save money to get started and grow.

Many businesses started out bootstrapping their way through the early stages. Giants including Apple, Coca Cola, and eBay were all started by bootstrapping entrepreneurs. Even smaller firms like Bear Naked Granola and TechCrunch (and Grasshopper!) began with bootstrapped funding.

Great for: Everyone. Bootstrapping is always a good idea, but it’s particularly great if:

Your business has exceptionally low costs to start

You’re working with a co-founder or a few

You want to maintain all of the equity and control in your business

Friends and Family

If bootstrapping your startup isn’t an option, turn to your family and close friends. There are few people in the world more likely to support you than those who know your drive, so they’re the perfect place to start.

When you draw funding from family and friends, you can likely still retain all of your business’ control and equity. However, the amount of funding that you can raise may still be pretty limited. There’s also a risk here of complicating relationships and blurring the work-life line.

About 24% of companies found funding through family and friends in 2014. Most of these companies use friends and family as a component of their financing plan, seeking other forms of funding as they grow.

Great for:

Small ventures that won’t require a ton of capital

Keeping control and equity for yourself

Entrepreneurs with big families!

Crowdfunding

When you need a little more funding than yourself or your family can put together, another awesome option is crowdfunding. If you’re not familiar, crowdfunding allows you to collect donations and pre-orders from groups of people on the internet.

A new idea, crowdfunding is still evolving, so you may or may not be dealing in equity and control. There are tons of platforms for crowdfunding startups like:

Fundable – Geared more toward small business, it’s the largest business platform

Smallknot – Takes crowdfunding to the local level, to the benefit of the smallest and microbusinesses

Kickstarter – A home for creative projects from films and music to technology

Indiegogo – A more general place for all types of inventors, musicians, etc. to get their projects funded

Some of these sites are better suited to different types of businesses and needs, so if you need help choosing, take a look at what other people are saying about them:

Crowdfunding only accounted for about 3% of startups last year, but this number promises to grow in the coming years. Since it got its start in 2012, crowdfunding became a $5.1 billion industry, raising $2 million every day.

Great for:

Startups that need more capital than family and friends can supply

Maintaining control and equity

Creative projects, nonprofits, social ventures

Startup Competitions and Grants

Another option is to compete with other startups and small businesses for awards, competitions, and grants. Startup competitions are springing up just about everywhere, and you can find a bunch on our Startup Competition Guide.

These are opportunities for you to compete based on your pitch, business plan, or other aspects of your business. You can win all kinds of cash and in-kind prizes, and you’re likely to also get some publicity.

You probably won’t be funding your entire venture with startup competition prize money, but winning these competitions has launched some pretty successful companies like Dropbox, Mint, and GoldieBlox.

You can also apply for government grants – which are about as close to free money as you can get – so naturally, competition for them is fierce. You can search for all kinds of federal grants here.

Great for:

Innovative technology ventures

Startups that have launched and shown proof of concept

Entrepreneurs with nothing but a dream and a pitch

Loans

You can also secure a loan or loans to help you fund your small business. The biggest drawback to loans is simply that you’re incurring debt. When you’re just starting out, that can be both dangerous and scary.

Aside from debt, a loan can be a great option for financing your venture, especially a small business loan. But be aware – even though the economy is rebounding, banks are still playing their wallets very close to the chest, and first-time entrepreneurs may have an uphill battle securing a loan.

A lot of small businesses are funded this way, through loans, credit cards, and lines of credit – as many as 41% of startups, actually.

Great for:

Serial entrepreneurs with a history of starting successful businesses

Entrepreneurs with great credit and/or existing assets to use as collateral

Ventures that require a larger amount of capital to get started

Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists

If none of the previous options are for you, then you can also turn to angel investors or venture capitalists. Angel investors and venture capitalists are very similar – they provide a (usually sizable) sum of capital, often in exchange for a chunk of equity in your business (also usually sizable).

Venture capital and investors aren’t a very common source of startup funding. Barely 1% of small businesses are financed this way.

Part of the reason for that involves startup costs and entrepreneurs’ willingness to give up equity and control. It’s also very difficult and competitive to secure these investments.

If you’re interested, you can find angel investors and venture capitalists in these places:

Choosing to work with these investors entails both good and bad. Funding your venture this way means you’ll probably receive some mentorship and guidance in addition to capital – it’s more of a partnership than the other options. However, that also means giving up a notable amount of equity and relinquishing at least a little bit of control.

Great for:

Ventures requiring larger sums of capital

Entrepreneurs seeking a more partnership-esque funding arrangement

Those willing to cede some equity and control

Get Funded

All of the choices we listed come with their own unique benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to do your research and weigh your options. Choosing the right financing plan for your startup will ensure you have the resources you need to put your small business on the map.

What are your concerns for funding? Which of these options seems best for you?

Love your community.

Being actively involved in the community has proven to be the absolute best way to market our business.

Dardis Intel

Analyze your business first.

I’d suggest you analyze your own business first. If you define what your business is and what it’s not then you can better plan your marketing. Once you determine what the nature of your business is then develop a strategy for marketing and selling.

1. What is your market? Who’s going to buy your stuff?2. Does your business sell a product or service that is new to its market? If it’s new how much will it cost to educate the consumer on the worth of the product or service?3. If your business has competition in the market how do you plan to compete? Hint: there’s only a few ways to carry out a successful competitive intrusion. Sell it cheaper. Make a better product. Have better customer service.4. What makes your competition successful? You’ll have to beat them at their own game.5. Is your market willing to pay more for better quality or customer service? If not then your business model will probably fail no matter how much you advertise.6. What does success look like to you? In year one? In year two?

John Demke

Marketing Manager

A great marketing plan.

The first strategy is a concise and well-considered marketing and business plan. This will lay the foundation for every other step you take, whether it be a website, social media, or getting a loan or line of credit from a bank.

As a public relations specialist, I rely on earned rather than paid media. With the abundance of ways to connect with an audience, spending the time to figure out what you are saying, how you are saying it, and who you are saying it to is more important and economical than spending money on advertisements.

Internet marketing, definitely.

I’m openly biased to internet marketing as that’s what I do but I started in that due to the low cost of entry back when I was doing affiliate marketing trying to earn extra money. Search and social have, for us and our clients and we’ve done a lot of different things, provided the highest ROI in that the business coming in is pre-screened based on their interests and queries. Essentially, you’re not wasting time pitching people who don’t want your services trying to convince them they do, you’re focused on being the best option for those who want what you’re selling.

Get to know real people.

I operate an online business and work mostly with online businesses. In my experience, getting to know people is important. Not just hey, I have 10,000 Facebook fans but really getting on the phone with people to chat. Doing that has brought me not only business, but connections, friendships, mentors, JV partners, promotion partners and some really cool opportunities like being featured as a guest in online events or interviews.

Get some credibility.

Actually I have just launched a new business direction to take someone from a job they hate (or their own business they work a lot more then 40 hours a week in for little financial return) to becoming known as the expert in their field utilising no/low cost credibility marketing techniques to do just this including social media, sponsorship, book publishing, media, product launches & digital magazines.

Digital marketing, advertising, and content.

There used to be a big separation for B2C vs B2B, but anymore, we find that digital marketing, digital advertising and content marketing are the most powerful channels. Facebook advertising beats TV and radio in targeting and cost while reaching nearly the same number of people. AdWords advertising provides customers who are ready to buy. Non-advertising options are slower, and SEO has become much more difficult. A small business should plan to spend ad money on their customers. Their profit margin needs to be above $50-100 per sale, or they may have trouble profiting with digital advertising. Sometimes loss leaders are needed, in addition to larger upsells, in order to achieve profitability.

Outsource tasks.

The best way to grow a business is to outsource tasks and work. I have used sites such as glance and desk to ‘palm off’ those jobs that will take up my time in an inefficient manner. If i feel that such work; data gathering, data inputting and basic design work can be done by others and allow me to focus my energies on what i have determined as aspects for which my knowledge and skills would benefit the business in a more efficient manner then I outsource. Overnight, your one man business can be transformed into a team of 8-10 people. Its alls a great confidence booster for young entrepreneurs to lead others.

Referrals, baby!

The highest value channel for growing our business has been, and continues to be, referrals from existing clients. No other channel compares to a recommendation from a trusted source. Smart businesses will compile customer testimonials and success stories, incorporating them into their marketing efforts to amplify their value beyond personal conversations.

Combine old and new media.

Market penetration strategies should utilize all aspects of marketing, both old and new media. The quickest route to growth is to convert the early adoptors. Identifying key influencers that can establish credibility and convert others is mandatory. Replicate successes everywhere and create satisfied customers willing to share how great your business is with others. Create positive reviews and keep building a database of satisfied customers. Establish an online strategy that reaches out across the web to capture more and more customers. Build brand loyalty. Be everywhere and strategically utilize multimedia and customer engagement strategies. Refine and expand your digital on line presence. Automate everywhere you can. Monitor cash flow and expand operations by reinvesting in growth. Utilize analytics and be data driven.

Get in the news.

Many small businesses have a low budget for marketing. It is important that the public know who you are and what you can do for them. One way to do that at almost no cost to the business is a news release.

Any time your business has something noteworthy, send it to all local newspapers and to all organizations you belong to that has a newsletter. An example might be that you launched a new product, attended a seminar to learn more to help your customers, opened a new location, hired new staff, and so much more.

Watch what others have printed about them and keep what you send in, to about the same length and format. Try to find something of interest to the public to submit no more than monthly and include a cover letter.

The next step is to save all printed article and keep them in a great leather bound album to use for marketing in other ways. You can display it at, trade shows, and events you are participating in, when speaking publicly and so much more.

Go with video

Video marketing resonates with your potential customer base, and this is crucial when you are a small business, as you typically don’t have tons of money to throw into marketing. You need to invest in something that will work around the clock for you on many different platforms, and video does just that. A study from Brightcove found that 76% of consumers cite video as their preferred method of consuming brand information. 44% said video is most “appealing” form of media, with “engaging, sharing, authentic and shareable” listed as reasons for trusting video content versus other forms of communication. Animoto’s recent survey of U.S. consumers revealed some interesting stats at well!

Elizabeth Thorn

Producer

My Company TV

What are your tried and true marketing tactics that have helped grow your small business? Are there any channels you find more effective than others?

Nicole’s advice is valuable to any entrepreneur, but especially women, trying to get rich and sort out their finances.

Money isn’t something a lot of people like to talk about, let alone write a whole book about! What got you so interested in personal finance?

Money is the story of our current times, and it’s a part of our zeitgeist. Just look at shows like Shark Tank, Tabitha’s Salon Takeover, even Cake Boss. They’re all about business, and making small businesses work. We have a national entrepreneurial spirit going, where everyone wants to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. But we also have a national personal debt epidemic. So I’m interested in helping women and young people get their financial houses in order so they can make their money and business dreams grow.

How is your approach to personal finance different than some of the other gurus out there?

We are living in a “new normal.” What might have been true about personal finance 10, 5, even just 2 years ago is wildly different in our post-recession economic landscape. I’m excited to be the first personal finance expert to address those new issues, and debunk a lot of the standing “conventional” wisdom. Do you need a 401(k)? Maybe. But maybe not. Should you buy a house? I say, for most people renting is the better way to go. Can you treat yourself to small indulgences like your morning latte? YES! The idea of the “American Dream” is dead. It’s your dream. Your destiny. And, I’m thrilled to be a part of that financial paradigm shift.

Why do you think it’s important for women to take charge of their financial well-being?

When it comes to our money and our careers, it’s time for women to stop smiling and nodding and join the conversation. We’ve gotten so used to information overload that often instead of asking the pertinent questions and sifting through the information to find the truisms that work for us, we just take them at face value. I’m on a mission to get young people, especially women, to speak the language of finance. It’s just not that scary, and it’s time to take control of our financial destinies.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Honestly, my former self. I didn’t grow up with The Wall Street Journal on the kitchen table. There was no talk about stocks or bonds in my family…ever. As part of an immigrant family, I was raised thinking that stashing your cash under your mattress was the best place to keep your money. I never learned or thought about how to grow that money through investing, and how to make my money work for me. I learned everything I know about money and finance not through an MBA, but the school of Hard Knocks. And now I’m writing for her—my former self who could not yet speak the language of finance. I’m her Rosetta Stone, and I hope to play that role for many other women, too.

What’s your best piece of advice for women when it comes to their finances?

Get going…now!! Don’t wait around and let your life, and your finances, pass you by. It’s so important to lay a good foundation for yourself in your 20s and 30s; your peak earning years, especially before kids. I talk all the time about a magical thing known as “compounding interest.” It essentially means that you’re earning interest on your interest, and that means that whether you’re saving for retirement or a new house or your kids to go to college, the sooner you dump some money into a solid savings vehicle, like a Roth IRA, the more that money grows over time. It’s literally the difference between making money and making a fortune.

Nicole Lapin is a veteran financial journalist, serving as an anchor on CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg. Her first book Rich Bitch: A Simple 12-Step Plan for Getting Your Financial Life Together…Finally was published in 2015. You can follow Nicole on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and at NicoleLapin.com for smart financial advice and unconventional money tips.

]]>http://grasshopper.com/blog/financial-freedom-for-female-entrepreneurs-an-interview-with-nicole-lapin/feed/07 Tools for Managing Personal Finances While Running a Businesshttp://grasshopper.com/blog/7-tools-for-managing-personal-finances-while-running-a-business/
http://grasshopper.com/blog/7-tools-for-managing-personal-finances-while-running-a-business/#commentsTue, 24 Feb 2015 14:00:42 +0000http://grasshopper.com/blog/?p=17180Keeping track of business expenses is one thing. But then there’s the question of how to manage those personal finances, too.

Now, instead of one, you have two budgets to balance.

So where should an entrepreneur look when trying to keep an eye on their personal spending habits?

We’ve pulled together a list of great resources that can help you do just that.

7 Tools for Personal Financial Management

This popular free tool helps you plan your budget, track expenses, and even sends alerts when you’re close to overstepping your set budget limitations. It also offers tips for better saving, a free credit score, and is 100% secure.

Good for: The entrepreneur who wants to see the big picture of his/her personal finances.

If you’d like to focus more on saving, SavedPlus lets you set aside a percentage of each purchase you make. Then, that percentage amount is sent to your savings account in a lump sum via weekly deposit.

Good for: If you struggle with saving money, this is one way to do it without having to think about it much.

Want to manage personal finances without the frills? Dailycost is built to help you enter and track your expenses in three seconds or less. With a clean design and simple data, there’s no digging required to get straight to the numbers.

A much more robust tool, YNAB helps you take a deeper look at your finances and plan your budget based on the details of where you can cut back. There is a $60 one-time fee, but it also grants you access to live online classes and support.

Good for: The entrepreneur who really wants to get serious about budgeting and saving.

If you’re not sure how to be a better budgeter, BudgetSimple helps by providing ideas on where specifically you should reduce spending. It connects with your bank and credit cards to keep track of where your money goes, and then helps you plan a smarter budget each month. There’s both a free and a $4.99/mo option with more features.

Good for: Making and maintaining a budget that works with your lifestyle.

These experts offer all kinds of coursework and resources that can do just as much (or more) to help you get your personal budget in check.

The bottom line: Whatever tool you use, the secret to properly managing your personal finances is to find a budget that works for you–and stick to it.

Your turn: Have you tried any of these tools? What would you add to this list?

]]>http://grasshopper.com/blog/7-tools-for-managing-personal-finances-while-running-a-business/feed/0Your Go-To Guide to Effective Nonprofit Marketinghttp://grasshopper.com/blog/your-go-to-guide-to-effective-nonprofit-marketing/
http://grasshopper.com/blog/your-go-to-guide-to-effective-nonprofit-marketing/#commentsFri, 20 Feb 2015 14:09:50 +0000http://grasshopper.com/blog/?p=17166When it comes to marketing a nonprofit organization, the strategies and tactics can be pretty different from standard small business marketing. Marketing’s super important for all businesses, but it’s even more vital for nonprofits.

With all the marketing tricks, tools, and advice out there, it can be hard to figure out what will actually work for you and your nonprofit. But don’t fret! We’ve got what you need to make your organization a marketing superstar.

The Four Ps: Nonprofit Edition

It’s 2015 now, and we’re talking about nonprofits here, so it’s time to update the most basic of marketing curriculum: the four Ps. We all know the old principles, but what are the foundational points of effective nonprofit marketing today?

These four are the overarching aspects that any great nonprofit marketing strategy of today will incorporate, so keep them in mind when developing yours.

Purpose

It’s no secret that today’s consumers are concerned with a lot more than just products and their features. This is huge for nonprofits because it leads to a lot of opportunity for partnerships (the 4th P!) with traditional businesses who want to add some more substance to their value offering.

Presence

Consumers today expect that brands are accessible and supportive, which is great for nonprofits because you can easily achieve this very cost effectively through social media.

Proximity

Similar to Presence, consumers expect brands to be whenever and wherever they are and to communicate meaningful messages.

Partnerships

Technology has opened tons of doors for potential partnerships that can help to extend your reach and tap into new markets without adding extra costs.

Strategies

Keep Your Niche Bite-Sized

We all wanna be able to serve the world or save the world, but there are some serious limitations that come with taking too broad of a stance with your nonprofit.

When it comes time to start marketing, you should aim to positions yourself in a bite-sized (because everyone knows “fun-sized” isn’t really fun at all) and narrow niche.

There are a lot of benefits to occupying a smaller niche:

Because you specialize in such a narrow field, you can easily gain expert status because there’s less competition here.

You can connect with your target market on a deeper level since more specialized niches tend to lead to more engaged and concentrated consumers.

When you isolate your nonprofit to one, small area, you separate yourself from any competition that occupies a different tiny niche or a more broad one.

Your mission, job, and day-to-day tasks become simplified and clarified because you’re working toward one specific, defined goal instead of many.

Partner With Brands And Influencers

With consumers seeking much more meaningful ways to use their spending money, brands are looking to quickly fill that need by incorporating cause marketing and corporate social responsibility.

This creates a huge opportunity for nonprofits to partner up with influential brands for co-marketing initiatives. Several prominent nonprofit organizations have run super successful campaigns with large, influential brands.

Livestrong Foundation – a nonprofit focused on supporting those diagnosed with cancer and their families – has had a long standing partnership with Nike.

A collection of Nike products are designated as “Livestrong” products (often branded with Livestrong yellow). A portion of the proceeds from this collection goes directly to Livestrong.

Charity: water has partnered with TOMS to develop a line of limited edition charity: water sunglasses and shoes.

The ASPCA famously partnered with singer Sarah McLachlan, who’s featured in many of their advertising campaigns.

Get Out And About

Getting out and networking is a huge asset for businesses of just about any kind. It’s even bigger for nonprofits since your marketing budget is probably smaller than for-profit companies.

Attending events, taking on speaking gigs, and networking in general are awesome ways to ensure that people know who you are and that your organization is always top-of-mind. You can find events and meetups through Meetup.com, your local Chamber of Commerce, and Nonprofit Quarterly.

Content – Tell Your Story

It’s no secret that content marketing is a huge buzz word throughout the marketing sphere right now. Content has principal benefits for marketing just about any kind of business, but once again, it’s even better suited to the nonprofit sector.

Content is only going to get bigger in the coming years, so now is definitely the time to hop on. It’s awesome for nonprofits because, while other businesses can implement it, nonprofit marketing is all about storytelling, and it always has been.

The best content strategy is multidimensional. You want to tell your story through a variety of media – create a blog, post to Facebook and Twitter, upload videos to YouTube, etc.

Your message should be everywhere, but there’s no cookie-cutter formula. Make sure to format the story to fit each place it will be posted.

Social and Viral

A large part of your content strategy should focus on social and viral marketing. The best part about social media is that it’s free – perfect for a nonprofit-sized budget!

While there’s no formula for the perfect viral content, several nonprofit organizations have had wildly successful video campaigns like Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 and The ALS Association’s Ice Bucket Challenge.

You can also use social as a means of facilitating word of mouth. Many nonprofits encourage donors and volunteers to post a variation of “I just donated to [blank] charity! Check them out: link” to their social media outlets.

People naturally want others to know about the good they’re doing, so approaches like this are foolproof.

Rock The Inbox

Email marketing might just be the most important tool in a nonprofit’s belt. It’s how you keep subscribers up to date and how you convert interested prospects into engaged donors and volunteers.

By the time someone is receiving your marketing emails, you already know they’re at least somewhat interested. They signed up, right? Now your job is to keep them interested and engaged.

One key to keeping them around is to diversify the content of your marketing emails. A weekly newsletter with the same format every week can get hum-drum pretty quickly, so it’s important to vary what you’re sending.

Some things you can include in your marketing emails:

Info about events

Special offers

Surveys

Thank you messages, and

A follow-up if someone interacts with your website or customer service

Tools

Lots of email marketing tools are available to help you out. Many of them are either free or offer discounts to nonprofits organizations!

Mobile

Mobile’s a big shift right now, and you really can’t afford to miss the boat on this one. Last year, mobile officially overtook desktop with users accessing via mobile around 60% of the time.

The first, and most important, step is to mobile optimize your main website. If you’re using a web building platform – like WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix – mobile optimization is really as simple as checking a box or choosing a pre-mobile optimized theme.

Another crucial step is to make your fundraising and marketing emails mobile-friendly. That means über readable and clickable. There are some simple formatting changes you can make to accomplish this.

Use one-column formats

Employ large, super easy to read fonts

Keep it simple and brief

Keep sentences and subject lines short and simple

One thing to avoid: While creating an app for your nonprofit may seem like the trendy thing to do, it’s a long, expensive road and there isn’t much return on investment for nonprofit apps.

Some Inspiration:

Water is Life

Water is Life turned the satirical #FirstWorldProblems on its head in their Hashtag Killer campaign.

Unicef

Unicef took a blunt approach to their social media following when they did the opposite of their nonprofit compatriots by not asking for Facebook likes.

END7

END7 took a new approach to the fear and shock appeals that many nonprofits have used in the past by providing a warning that also serves as a hook for some of the more graphic and disturbing imagery.

Amnesty International

Amnesty International designed a campaign that took raising awareness to a whole new level by bringing the horrors of developing countries right onto our own streets in their Not Here But Now campaign.

You’re Officially Ready

Now that you’ve been educated and inspired, you’re ready to take the world of nonprofit marketing by storm. So get to it and start making a difference!

What have you done to get the word out about your nonprofit?

]]>http://grasshopper.com/blog/your-go-to-guide-to-effective-nonprofit-marketing/feed/07 Ways to Draw a Line Between Your Business and Personal Lifehttp://grasshopper.com/blog/7-ways-to-draw-a-line-between-your-business-and-personal-life/
http://grasshopper.com/blog/7-ways-to-draw-a-line-between-your-business-and-personal-life/#commentsTue, 17 Feb 2015 14:28:37 +0000http://grasshopper.com/blog/?p=17146It’s easy to let your business life seep into your personal life.

Think about it: When you’re an entrepreneur, there’s a lot on your shoulders. Not only are you responsible for the overall success of your business, but your daily to-do list is constantly pulling at your mind and begging for attention.

You’re tempted to check your work email during a dinner with friends.

You’re up late at night finishing “just one last thing.”

You’re working on the weekend to get a head start on the week ahead.

But when these situations become regular occurrences, the work becomes less enjoyable and your relationships suffer. You get tired, burnt out, and generally uninspired.

So how do you find balance between your two worlds? Here’s a few work-life balance tips that will help you find a happy medium.

1. Turn Off Push Notifications on Your Smartphone

If you’re in the habit of letting your emails and social media notifications come through as they are received via push notifications on your phone, it’s time to turn them off. When you can decide when to check your emails and social media, you have less distractions and can focus on what you’re doing without a constant “Ding!” going off beside you.

2. Outsource Tasks

You don’t have to do it all! Hire a freelancer or a virtual assistant to help execute the day-to-day tasks that keep you in the details instead of thinking big picture. This will free up your time to focus on what the future holds for your business instead of only what’s happening right now.

Like Virgin CEO Richard Branson says, “Once you have learned to delegate and free yourself from micromanaging, you need to take the opportunity to focus on the future. Finding time for aspirational thought is vital.”

3. Be More Active

One of the wonderful things about being an entrepreneur is that you can set your own schedule. Setting aside time to exercise will help you de-stress and stay healthy throughout the year. You might even find that some of your best ideas come while riding a stationery bike. Who knew?

It’s proven: One study showed that people who exercised during the workday were 23% more productive than those who didn’t.

4. Take a Vacation

No, this doesn’t mean a workcation. This means a fully unplugged time to decompress, clear your mind, and enjoy life. You’re not confined to a few days of PTO each year; you decide when you want to take time off. And you work hard as a business owner–it’s well-deserved!

Schedule it: If you have trouble making vacation plans, put it in your schedule at regular intervals throughout the year. It’s okay to have established blocks of time for adventures.

5. Establish Working Hours

Boundaries are a beautiful thing. When you have set working hours during the week, you have a defined time frame for work, just as you would if you were working as an employee. Plus, when you started your business, did you long for the days you’d spend working until midnight? Probably not. No more answering emails and phone calls on the weekend. It can wait.

6. Work Smarter, Not Harder

In a world where there are so many resources available to make life easier, it’s surprising how many entrepreneurs still aren’t taking advantage. If your budget is tight and you can’t afford to bring in support, start using tools that simplify and organize your business. These might be:

7. Get a Mentor

Having someone to call on with outside perspective will help you identify those times when you need to take a break. While you might not be able to spot it, your mentor can be the one to say, “Hey, you look tired. Are you over-working yourself?”

Your mentor doesn’t run the risk of getting fired by you (and isn’t your spouse), so they have the right amount of knowledge about you in both work and personal environments to make that call.

Work-life Balance Tips: The Bottom Line

For entrepreneurs, the important thing to remember is the word balance. It will look different for different people, but it feels the same across the board: You’re happy, your friends and family are happy, and your business is doing well.

When you feel one start to slip, it’s time to check those scales again.

Your turn: What would you add to this list of work-life balance tips?

]]>http://grasshopper.com/blog/7-ways-to-draw-a-line-between-your-business-and-personal-life/feed/0How to Be Professional and Productive When You Don’t Have an Officehttp://grasshopper.com/blog/how-to-be-professional-and-productive-when-you-dont-have-an-office/
http://grasshopper.com/blog/how-to-be-professional-and-productive-when-you-dont-have-an-office/#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 16:59:44 +0000http://grasshopper.com/blog/?p=17132A quiet place to answer phone calls, send faxes, and meet with clients.

In the old days, everyone had offices.

That’s changed. Sure, many of today’s professionals work from traditional offices, but many others work from home offices, co-working spaces, coffee shops, and from their cars.

Without an office space carved out for hard work, organization, and face-to-face meetings, how can you be productive and professional?

Have a Place for Your Stuff

You might not have an office, but that doesn’t mean you can be totally loosy-goosy and disorganized. As a business owner, you need to be on top of health insurance, taxes, employees, and other important documents. Make sure you have a safe home for this stuff, complete with a filing system, even if it’s organized under your bed.

In general, everything you use for business should have a home, even if that home is in the trunk of your car. Plus, you don’t want papers poking out of your pockets while you’re at a meeting. A clean, polished appearance will impress clients and give them confidence in your expertise.

Get the Right Tools

A lot of phone systems, marketing tools, and accounting apps are meant for people working from brick-and-mortar offices. Those won’t work for you. You need software tools that are built for someone without an office. Think things like faxes sent by email and contracts that can be signed electronically.

Learn What Makes You Productive

There are so many ideas and strategies on enhancing productivity, but the key to getting work done is figuring out what works for you. Maybe that’s sleeping in and working in the afternoons, or maybe that’s making sure you get exercise every day. Here are a few ideas for how you can increase productivity, with or without an office:

Set a timer for each of your tasks.

Get a web time blocker extension like LeechBlock to prevent you from wasting your day on social media.

Just start. It’s the hardest part.

Take care of every day essentials like groceries and errands on the weekends.

Don’t check email so much. People can wait.

Get a Solid Internet Connection and Invest in a Power Bank

No matter where you work from, you’re going to need a solid internet connection to do your job well, mostly because you’re going to have to communicate. Most cell phone providers sell mobile hotspots so you can remain connected no matter where you are.

You’ll need to keep your smartphone charged, too. Those power banks might look corny, but they can keep your phone charged for 30% longer. My favorite is the mophie juice pack plus, which provides not only power, but also a case.

Invest in Relationships

No office means no office buddies. But don’t let that deter and frustrate you. Many are solving this problem with some elbow grease:

Consider a co-working space where you can meet like-minded entrepreneurs.

Video conferencing and phone calls with co-workers and clients can ease some of the loneliness when you don’t have an office.

Go to events often, whether it’s through a business club or through meetups in your area.

Professional & Productive, No Matter Where You Are

You’re an entrepreneur who’s embraced life without an office, and you’re managing to grow a business in a new and exciting space. If you make good choices as you scale, you’ll be able to continue without an office, saving money as you go.

If you’re like me, you probably spend hours each day in the same space– and you get tired of looking at the same old thing. When your office doesn’t inspire or enable you to be productive, you lose precious working hours each week.

And if that’s the case, your workspace is in desperate need of a makeover.

Here’s a few tips for reworking your entrepreneurial office design.

1. Get Organized

The first step in your workspace makeover is to get organized. Clean everything up, file things away, even clean up that messy computer desktop while you’re at it. When there’s too much clutter and mess, you interrupt your workflow by digging through piles. Check these items off your list as you go through your organization frenzy:

Purge the unnecessary. Stop holding on to papers you don’t need.

Start labeling. The easier it is to find things, the less time you’ll spend searching.

Clean off your desk. Have as much open workspace as possible.

Designate storage boxes. Put those tax documents and paperwork you havetokeep in one place.

Establish a weekly cleanup time. Devote 30 minutes or less each week to keeping your space organized and de-cluttered.

2. Bring in Green

If you’re stuck with a gloomy view of gray ,slushy snow right now (like me) or don’t have a window in your office, bring in some plants to incorporate color. Bonus: Research shows that having green plants in the office boosts productivity by 12%. Not sure what kind to get? Try these:

3. Re-arrange your Furniture

Sometimes you just need to shift things around to feel like your office design is fully recharged. Try moving your desk closer to a source of natural light or even upgrading to a standing desk if you’re tired of sitting all day. Make sure your arrangement is optimized so you can get to everything easily.

4. Get a Fresh Coat of Paint

Studies show that different colors evoke different emotions when it comes to an office workspace. Plus, you can brighten or darken the room based on your needs just by changing the paint color (and without hiring an electrician to bring in new lighting.) So, what office vibe do you want your color to put off?

Blue = calmness.

Yellow = productivity and creativity.

Green = balance.

5. Bring in Some Scents

Having a candle or air freshener in your workspace can have an effect that makes your office feel more like a retreat than a holding cell. Now, I’m on board with the diffusing essential oils craze right now–and I enjoy the effects of the added moisture in the air–but if that’s not for you, there are still some scents that can help improve your work environment.

Citrus = attentiveness and creativity.

Lavender = calming.

Cinnamon = cozy.

6. Personalize

Your entrepreneurial office design should reflect your personality. Take the time to finally hang some wall decor, bring in a comfy place to sit, and some touches that make the space feel like it actually belongs to you. So often we are focused on getting tasks done that we don’t even think about the importance of making an inspiring workspace.

Take it from Casey Neistat: A customized office is also wildly functional.

7. Check your Lighting Situation

We all know fluorescent lighting can be hard on the eyes–but do you also have the ability to adjust your office lighting throughout the day? If not, consider adding a few simple items that can make a big impact on your office design:

Window shades or adjustable blinds for natural light

Desk lamp for low light

Sufficient overhead lighting (for those late nights spent working)

Your Office is your Home Base

As an entrepreneur, you probably spend a lot of time in your workspace doing important work. So why not make sure that it works for you? Take the time this month to refresh your office design and make your space more inspiring, more productive, and a better fit for exactly what you need.

Your turn: What would you add to this list?

]]>http://grasshopper.com/blog/7-tips-for-refreshing-your-entrepreneurial-office/feed/26 Must-Haves For Your Small Business Office and Deals to Help You Get Therehttp://grasshopper.com/blog/6-must-haves-for-your-small-biz-office-and-deals-to-help-you-get-there/
http://grasshopper.com/blog/6-must-haves-for-your-small-biz-office-and-deals-to-help-you-get-there/#commentsFri, 06 Feb 2015 20:31:12 +0000http://grasshopper.com/blog/?p=17097Just getting started with your small biz? Taking a look at refreshing your office? Whether you’re working out of a 50-story building or right in your own home, there are some things that every office just needs to have.

Neither setting up or revamping your workplace are cheap tasks, but we’ll show you how to stay on budget using the super awesome deals and discounts that you can find on Groupon Coupons.

1. An Awesome Desk

No business or home office is complete without an awesome, customized desk for getting ‘r done. Super desks can be expensive – even from Ikea – so if you’re handy, building your very own might be a good option. That way, you can include as much storage as your heart desires.

Whether you need tools, supplies, or advice, Home Depot is always a go-to for do-it-yourself projects.

Groupon Coupons can help you find the deals you need to get the supplies and tools to build a dream desk that will inspire you to do your best work.

2. Organization

Now that you have a killer desk to work from, you wanna keep it as clean, neat, and organized as possible, right?

Having an organized desk and workspace means you can easily find whatever you need, right when you need it. You’ll also have tons of space to get work done. Plus, less desk clutter usually helps you keep mental clutter to a minimum, so you’ll be more productive.

The Container Store has just about everything you could ever need for organizing your desk and your whole office. Groupon Coupons even has a 30% off voucher right now!

3. Office Supplies

Sticky notes – need I say more? If there’s a better way to remember bits and pieces of information, I haven’t found it. In addition to these little wonders, there are lots of other office supplies that your small biz just can’t live without.

Whether it’s pens, paperclips, or notebooks, these guys are the behind the scenes items that help your business run.

Office Depot & OfficeMax are a veritable playground for office supply geeks – like me! You can find some awesome discounts for these guys through Groupon Coupons, too.

4. Coffeemaker

This one’s pretty obvious – you always need to have a good cup of Joe easily within your reach, so your office or home office definitely needs a good coffeemaker.

Whether you’re up at the crack of dawn or until the crack of dawn, coffee is a huge necessity when it comes to running your business (like I have to tell you that).

Whatever floats your coffee boat, whether it’s a single-serve machine or a 12-cup behemoth, you can find it at Best Buy. And you guessed it – Groupon Coupons can get you discounts there, too.

5. Coffee

Now that you have a way to make it, it’s time to buy the good juice. I’m sure I don’t have to sell you on the awesome, amazing, wonderful benefits of coffee, so find your favorite brew and buy out the shop.

For those of more discriminating tastes (I’m right there with you), Starbucks is the obvious go-to. I go mad for their Verona roast.

Groupon Coupons can even get you some Starbucks discounts, too. So you can bring your favorites home with you.

6. Photos

So you’re all set up in your office and caffeinate to the brim – who doesn’t need a little reminder of why you work so hard?

You can hang a million pictures on the wall, frame just one for the desk, or anything in between.

There’s not a much more convenient way to get your pictures printed than at the Walgreens down the street. Surprise – you can get Walgreens deals through Groupon Coupons, too!

Get To Work

Having the right stuff will always put you on the fast track to doing awesome things in business. You can always find super duper deals on all your small biz essentials through Groupon Coupons, and you can even get coupons for your personal necessities, too. So get to work!

]]>http://grasshopper.com/blog/6-must-haves-for-your-small-biz-office-and-deals-to-help-you-get-there/feed/1How to Create a Referral Engine That Keeps Customers Cominghttp://grasshopper.com/blog/how-to-create-a-referral-engine-that-keeps-customers-coming/
http://grasshopper.com/blog/how-to-create-a-referral-engine-that-keeps-customers-coming/#commentsWed, 04 Feb 2015 14:00:33 +0000http://grasshopper.com/blog/?p=16878Want a free business insight that’s at the top of any small business owner’s secret playbook?

Referrals are powerful. Period.

Creating a referral engine is a hugely important part of any business plan because relationships and recommendations are what make the world go ’round (and keep new customers coming your way.)

Today, we’ve collected some ways that you can re-start your referral engine (in case it’s gotten a little old and rusty) or get it up and running from scratch.

Build Trust

In both the online and offline world, fostering a strong sense of trust within your niche community is vital to the success of your referral engine. The more people trust you and your expertise, the more they’ll recommend you to their friends and peers.

2. Always follow through. Any time you come in contact with a potential customer, you have to deliver a quality product. All it takes is one slip-up or one unanswered email for your referral engine to start sputtering.

3. Manage your reputation. Whether it’s a Yelp review or some negative feedback making the rounds at the local coffee shop, be sure keep your reputation as sparkling as possible. Always provide great customer service, go above and beyond to help clients, and showcase positive testimonials wherever you can.

Compensate Your Partners

You probably know of a few people who serve as your top referral sources–they’re the ones who are always sending new work your way. Reward those people who help grow your business by making them a compensated referral partner.

How should I compensate my partners?

1. Offer a percentage or flat fee per referral. If you know a new client who agrees to work with you guarantees at least $X in revenue, you could offer your referral source anywhere from 1-5% or a flat fee for each new customer–it depends on your costs.

2. Give bill credit. If your referral source is already a customer of yours, offer them a discount on their monthly/annual bill in exchange for their help.

3. Store credit. If you’re in the products business, you could offer your partners credit to use at your store for each referral they provide.

Engage Your Audience

The more you can build relationships with your niche audience, the more they will turn to you as a resource in your field. Gary Vaynerchuk says,

“My store, Wine Library, outsells big national chains. How do you think we do it? It started with hustle. I always say that our success wasn’t due to my hundreds of online videos about wine that went viral, but to the hours I spent talking to people online afterward, making connections and building relationships.”

Try engaging with your audience by:

1. Leading conversations about relevant topics on social media. Host a Twitter chat or Google Hangout centered around a topic your audience cares about.

2. Getting feedback on different issues. Ask for opinions, suggestions, and comments (good or bad) on a regular basis in the form of polls, emails, or even comment cards.

3. Participating in groups where your customers spend time. Look for online communities and community organizations that you can get involved with to show your investment in the people there.

Collaborate with Influencers

Reach out to the strong voices within your market and see how you can work together to expand your reach. When you team up with the people your potential customers already know and trust, you’re tapping in to that established positive association.

Try connecting with influencers by:

1. Hosting a giveaway with a relevant blogger. By getting your product/service in front of a new audience, that already popular information source helps drive referrals your way.

2. Being a guest on a podcast. Find a podcast your audience would care about, and reach out to the host to see if you could share your expertise as a guest.

3. Creating a panel. If you can pull together a group of voices within your community for a panel discussion, regular blog posts, or a special gathering, you are associating your brand with recognized and trusted leaders within your niche.

Bottom line: Keep the engine well-oiled.

A powerful referral engine undergoes regular maintenance–it’s checked for clogs and is well cared for. Anytime it begins to fall into disrepair, your business suffers (and slows down.)

By following these suggestions, you can keep referrals coming in on a regular basis and help your business grow.